Torrington Board of Finance approves purchase of new police vehicles

TORRINGTON >> The Torrington Board of Finance approved the purchase of two new patrol vehicles for the Torrington Police Department at Tuesday's meeting.

The board authorized the purchase of a 2013 Ford Utility Police Interceptor amounting to $33,998, and the purchase of a 2013 Ford Sedan Police Interceptor amounting to $31,625. Both vehicles are from the MHQ of Middletown and will cost approximately $500 each for vehicle lettering.

Both were approved by the Board of Public Safety on May 1 and by the City Council on May 7.

These two vehicles will replace two current patrol cars that are over six years old and have high mileage. Police Chief Michael Maniago explained that these two cars needed to be replaced and it seemed a good time to experiment with the new utility vehicle that other departments are currently using.

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The sedan, a Ford Taurus, is the replacement for the Ford Crown Victoria vehicles that the TPD currently uses. Maniago said that the company no longer makes the Crown Victoria, and therefore the department is forced to use the Taurus.

This is the first time the department will purchase a utility vehicle, a new model.

Maniago said that the department is buying one vehicle now so they can, "evaluate to see how it works for us."

"We don't want to buy several of them, discover they don't meet our needs and then we're stuck with them," said Maniago.

The plan is to evaluate the new vehicle in good and bad weather. If the department decides that it meets the needs of the department, Maniago said he would be interested in buying several more utility vehicles. However, he said that he doesn't want to have an entire fleet of them.

"The cars are more mobile and can get into tight spaces," Maniago said to explain why he wants to keep cars on patrol. "I'm a traditionalist. I like cars."

The upsides of the utility vehicle, which are all-wheel drive and it offers more space for equipment and prisoners, said Maniago.

Several other departments around the state have purchased these utility vehicles. In researching, Maniago spoke with the chiefs of these departments and received positive feedback about the vehicle's performance.

During discussion at the city council meeting, councillor Mark Bushka asked why the TPD chose to go with Ford as opposed to other car brands. Maniago explained that the department tested Chevrolet and Dodge and found that both brands didn't meet their needs.

"They were either too small or had rear-wheel drive," said Maniago. "Fords best meet our needs."

The council unanimously approved both purchases. Now that the vehicles have been approved by all the appropriate boards, the TPD can purchase the sedan and utility vehicle.